US-POLITICS Summary

Sep 5, 2011, 10:28 p.m.

Obama previews jobs speech, challenges Republicans

DETROIT (Reuters) - President Barack Obama previewed proposals on Monday for new infrastructure spending and an extension of payroll tax cuts as part of a major jobs package he will unveil this week, and challenged Republicans to find common ground with him. Obama used a Labor Day rally with cheering union workers in economically hard-hit Detroit to set a combative tone before his nationally televised speech to Congress on Thursday, signaling he is ready to confront Republicans over their resistance to his agenda.

Republicans, minus Perry, woo the right at forum

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Reuters) - Five Republican presidential hopefuls pledged their faith in free markets and the Constitution at a campaign forum for conservatives on Monday, although the event lost some luster when Texas Governor Rick Perry was a late no-show. The 2012 Republican White House contenders appeared separately at the South Carolina forum but shared similar views on the need to slash government, cut taxes and repeal President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul.

Giuliani and Bloomberg: NY mayors linked by Sept 11

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Had it not been for the September 11 attacks, neither Rudy Giuliani nor Michael Bloomberg would have such high profiles on the American political stage. If Giuliani is always remembered as the 9/11 mayor of New York City for his leadership in the days of fear that followed, then Bloomberg will be recalled as the mayor who cajoled New Yorkers to focus on the future after the worst tragedy in their history.

Republicans and Democrats fight, Cordray waits

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On Tuesday, Richard Cordray will sit down with the Senate Banking Committee to interview for a job he is unlikely to get. Cordray, a former attorney general in Ohio, has been nominated to be the first director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Republicans have opposed the agency as a regulatory overreach since it was created as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial oversight law.

Analysis: Petraeus battles fears of CIA "militarization"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Newly retired General David Petraeus is well aware that his swearing-in as the next director of the CIA, expected on Tuesday, might stoke concerns about the "militarization" of the U.S. spy agency. It was one of the reasons the storied battlefield commander hung up his uniform last week after a 37-year career in the Army. It may also be why he appears so intent on fulfilling a pledge to leave his military entourage -- "braintrusts" as he calls them -- behind when he arrives at the CIA's Langley, Virginia, compound.

Bachmann campaign manager, deputy stepping down

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann's campaign manager, Ed Rollins, and his deputy are leaving their roles, Bachmann's campaign said on Monday, adding Rollins would remain in a less physically demanding senior advisory position. "In less than 50 days and with fewer resources than other campaigns, Ed was the architect that led our campaign to a historic victory in Iowa," Bachmann said in a statement, referring to that state's Republican straw poll.